Flight Of Roses
by inuyasha4life17
Summary: After the Swat Kats rescue a she kat from a plane crash, a new pilot comes to share the sky. Who is this she kat that gives T-Bone feelings he can't hide behind a mask?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Wiping sweat from his brow, Chance fell down on to the couch and opened a can of milk. "I hope a can fix Callie's car before Tuesday. I told her I'd have it ready two days ago."

Jake appeared a few seconds later, flexing his claws. "It's not your fault you haven't been able to work on it buddy. Dark Kat has been more active than ever."

The tom clicked on the T.V. and rubbed his eyes from lack of sleep. "I've noticed."

As the normal sports channel appeared on the screen, the picture went to fuzz and the news network flashed into view. "This is a live video feed from Kat's Eye News with a breaking news bulletin from down town Mega Kat City. A plane crashed into Megakat Bridge and is now hanging suspended more than seven hundred feet above the water. The pilot has been identified as former Enforcer Laurie Purrston. All attempts to rescue the she kat have failed. We can only hope that she will be saved so she can be reunited with her friends and loved ones. This is Ann Gora, Kat's Eye News reporter."

"Ready to rock and roll?" Chance asked, turning to his partner.

Jake gave one quick nod. "Let's go."

A few minutes later, the Turbo Kat was soaring fast over Megakat City. As they approached the bridge, they could see smoke rising thick into the sky. Fire trucks and Ambulances surrounded bellow, bright red lights flashing. Kats had gotten out of their cars, watching and pointing as pieces of charred metal fell from above.

"We have to get her out of there before her fuel tank explodes!" Razor yelled over the engine.

"I know that! I just have to get close enough!" T-Bone replied.

"To do what?" the orange tom asked. "You're not gonna do something stupid are you?"

T-Bone gave him a grin and un-hooked his restraints. "You know me."

"That's what I mean! What are you doing?" he yelled.

As they got close and hovered a few feet above the wreckage, T-Bone put on his gas mask and flipped up the switch he swore he would never use. "I'm putting her on Auto Pilot! Watch out for me Pal!"

"What? You're crazy! Be careful! If you die it's not my fault!" Razor yelled.

"Shut up and cover me!" the tom said, opening the windshield. Tying a rope to the edge of the jet, he tied the other end round his waist and lowered himself on to the wing. The strong smell of gas hit his nose as he walked gently over and forced open the shattered door of the plane.

Through the haze, he could see the she kat, still strapped to the seat, blood running down her face. "P-please help me." She whimpered, tears coating her fur.

"Just stay calm. I'll have you out of here in a second." He said slowly, grabbing a knife from his belt.

As he sawed through the thick leather, a few sparks rained down and he winced as one burned his arm. He could see she had a broken wrist and maybe a slight concussion. She stared at him with eyes full of fear, her bottom lip trembling.

"Please hurry." She said, fresh tears rolling down her cheeks.

When the belt finally snapped free, he secured the blade back on his waist looked back to her. "Okay, I need you to give me your hand Miss. This plane could go any second."

"O-okay … Ouch! My leg!" she said as he pulled her from the seat. "It hurts!"

"Grab on to me." T-bone said, putting one arm around her waist. She clung to him as he made his way back out of the plane. The metal of the aircraft's wing creaked as he looked up at the Turbo Kat. "Razor! Get us out of here!"

As the jet began to rise, the plane sparked and fire crept along its base. The she kat screamed as the engine exploded and shards of metal shot into the air. They were left hanging as the plane came free of the bridge and fell into the depths of Megakat Bay. Razor took off to the shore and hoped the rope which secured his passengers held.

As they neared dry land, T-Bone looked down to the shaking she kat in his arms. Blood stained the fur below her eye and she cradled her broken paw to her chest. Underneath the ash and soot, her fur was a light brown color. Her eyes were a leafy green color and her hair was short and black. T-Bone thought she was the most beautiful kat he had ever seen.

She shook her head a few times and blinked her eyes. She looked up at him and a small smile appeared on her lips. "I … I can't thank you enough."

"No problem." He answered her as she coughed. "Man … that was a close one."

She nodded and looked below, swallowing nervously. "I thought I was fish food."

"I'm T-Bone." He said as they touched down on the Docs of Megakat harbor.

"Who doesn't know who you are? I am a big fan. I learned everything I know about flying from watching you." She said as he set her on her feet. When she realized what she had said, she blushed and cleared her throat. "Oh ... I'm sorry. I'm Laurie, Laurie Purrston."

"Nice to meet you." T-bone said. He then noticed she looked a little pale and saw the wound one her leg was oozing blood. "Maybe you should sit down. You've lost a lot of blood."

She shook her head as he helped her limp toward the Turbo Kat, which Razor had landed a few yards away. "I'm fine … really. I'm ju …" Her eyes then fluttered closed and she went limp in his arms.

T-Bone shook her a little but she didn't move. "Miss, can you hear me? Miss?" he asked, feeling panic course through him. "Razor! Get and ambulance here now!"

As paramedics loaded her into the cab on a stretcher, T-Bone followed Razor back to the jet and watched as the ambulance raced away.

As they flew back to the Junk Yard, Razor could see something on his partner's mind. "I'm sure she'll be fine T-Bone."

He didn't answer, but hoped he would get to see her again.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Smelling the strong scent of alcohol slowly brought Laurie to her senses. As she opened her eyes to slits, harsh florescent light invaded her vision. She slowly sat up, but let her head fall back on to the pillow where it had been; it head was killing her. After a few minutes she tried again, but this time supporting herself with the metal railings that were on either side of the bed. As her eyes focused, she saw she was in a very neat hospital room. Next to her on the wall a few feet away was a mirror. She saw her forehead was wrapped in gauze and wound tight with medical tape where she had hit her head. She was in a blue hospital gown and noticed her wrist and her left leg had been covered in castes. Seeing the only company in the room was a bunch of flowers and "Get Well" cards, she pushed the call button above her head and sighed.

Moments later, a short, fluffy nurse walked in, clip board in hand. "Hello dear, feeling better?"

Laurie tried not to laugh as she spoke; the aged she cat in front of her had so much make-up on it looked like it would weigh her face down. "Fine, thank you. How long have I been here?"

"About two day's child; you hit your head pretty hard. You just missed your mother. She left a few minutes ago along with your boyfriend." The nurse answered.

"What time is it?" she asked, looking to the window.

The nurse checked her watch. "Around Eight thirty in the morning; would you like me to get ahold of your mother?"

"Yes please." Laurie said, sitting back on the pillows behind her. "Oh, and could I maybe get something to eat, I'm starving."

"Certainly." The nurse called as she exited the room.

Laurie sighed and closed her eyes, and before she knew it, had fallen asleep.

As light filtered through the one window in Chance's room, he sat up, stretched and winced at the muscle he had pulled in his shoulder the day before. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he got up and put on his uniform. Yawning, he made his way downstairs.

Jake sat sprawled on the couch, a cup of steaming coffee in his hand. The cat swore under his breath as the picture on the T.V. stalled and changed to fuzz. "Stupid thing." He said as he got up to adjust the antenna. "Morning." He called over his shoulder.

After getting a warm cup of milk, Chance sat down on the recliner across the room and watched his partner bang on the top of the television. ""Ya know, it's never gonna work if your touching it." He teased.

"Go choke on a sardine." The red cat growled as the picture finally returned. "See, you just have to work at it."

"Whatever you say pal." He said, taking a sip of his milk.

As the day wore on, Jake could see Chance's mind was not on their work. He would walk into things and drop tools, leaving them there until later. Wiping some oil from his paws, he walked to where Callie's car was and saw Chance's feet sticking out from under it. "Okay, your acting weird. What's up?" he asked.

The tom slid out from under the car, wiping sweat from his brow. "Nothing."

"Liar. It's about that she kat we saved yesterday isn't it?" Jake said.

"Go away! I have to fix Callie's transmission before she gets here tonight." He growled.

"Fine, have it your way." He said, turning and returning to his work on the other side of the shop.

Chance felt bad about snapping at him and sighed. As he tightened a few bolts, Laurie Purrston's face flashed into his mind.

Just before dark, Laurie's mother came to take her to stay with her for a few days while she recovered. She insisted she could take care of herself just fine in her apartment across town, but her mother wouldn't allow it.

As they pulled into the driveway, her mother hurried to the passenger side door to help her into the wheelchair the hospital had provided.

"Mom, please. Just give me the crutches and let me walk." Laurie complained.

"I think you should try to use them tomorrow. You just were in a plane crash; you need to take it easy for a few days." Her mother urged.

"I'll stay here until I can drive, which will probably be in a few days. But could you take me home since my car isn't here?" she asked.

Her mom smiled and fiddled with her keys at the front door. "Sure honey."

"You didn't hear anything from Luke today did you? I would call him but my phone is at the apartment." Laurie asked as she was wheeled into the living room.

"I'm afraid not. He told me he would come by when you got home. He said he was working late." She said.

"Weird, he never works late." She said as her mom helped her on the couch, which she had made up with a pillow and sheets.

"I assume you're pretty tired. Just yell if you need me. Good night dear." She said, walking down the hall and closing her bedroom door.

"First of all, I am not gonna sleep on the couch when my old room is right down the hall." Laurie grumbled. Grabbing the crutches her mother had placed near the coffee table, she hoisted herself to her feet and limped away from the living room. She came to the last room at the end of the hall and pushed open the door.

He room from her childhood smelled of cheap perfume and paint. She had painted it several times as she got older and the walls ended up being several different colors. Boy band posters and pictures of her friends covered them, sending memories floating back. She spotted old dolls and teddy bears on her dresser and smiled at the things she used to be into to.

She pushed a few blankets aside and gently eased herself on to her bed. On her ceiling was her most favorite posters; one of the enforcers. Ever since she was a little kitten, she dreamed of flying with them. When she turned ten, her new idols became the Swat Kats. After seeing them save the city countless times, she felt she had to do something to help. She joined the enforcers when she graduated college. Commander Feral had almost fired her when she accidently tripped him while walking past. He then had been watching her like a hawk for the next six years into her service. When he promoted a new pilot before her, she quit and decided to go to work at the local auto parts store downtown. Still having her flight experience and her father's old plane, she would go flying all the time. Now that her plane was destroyed and still stuck up in the bridge, she felt like an idiot and was pretty sure she wouldn't get her place back with the enforcers.

Snuggling into the sheets of her bed, she let her mind wander. The tom cat that had saved her life walked in her dreams that night, whispering to her.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

A few days had passed and Laurie's mother had let up on babying her mostly. She had been able to return to her apartment, but her mom had come by to visit her every once in a while to make sure she was okay. She was happy the doctor said her leg would have full mobility in few weeks, but for now she was stuck with the crutches. Her boss Jack had given her a week off duty to feel better. She decided to try to find something to do on her small vacation. The first thing was to see how bad of shape her plane was in.

She heard that it had been removed from the bridge and towed to a junkyard downtown. She remembered that her wallet and credit card were still in it and planned to go see if they were still there. She hurried around her one bedroom apartment, getting decently dressed in a pair of faded blue jeans and an old T-shirt. Grabbing her keys from the kitchen table, she threw on one sneaker and made her way to the front door. Stepping out in the dark hallway of the building she shared with ten other tenants, she locked her door and made her way to the elevator. Jamming in the down button and stepping inside, she sighed as it lowered her to the parking lot. Finding her car in its usual place, she sat down and turned the key in the ignition. Her thoughts lingered on the Swat Kats as she pulled out on to the highway.

"Well, your car is guaranteed to run like charm Callie." Jake said, cleaning oil from his paws.

The blonde she kat smiled at him and then to Chance, who stood off to the side, staring off into space. "Thanks you guys, it was a big help. I'm tired of it breaking down." She paid them and drove off, honking her horn and waving out the window.

Jake sighed and smiled after her. "Wow. Did you see how pretty she looked today?"

When he noticed the tom was no longer nearby, he walked outside and searched for his partner. He spotted the tom standing in front of the remains of the she kat's plane Burke and Murray had salvaged from the bridge. The craft would take months to repair; it looked like it had been through a blender. Its wings were gone, its windshield busted, and it had been burnt to a crisp from the explosion. Chance's eyes had been glued to it since it had arrived.

"C'mon pal … I'm sure she ended up okay." He said, coming to stand next to him.

"I know, it's just …" but before he could finish, a car rolled down the gravel road to the junkyard gate, horn beeping. Its windows were tinted, which made it hard to see the driver. The window rolled down and a hand waved to them.

"Hang on; let me go let whoever this is in." Jake said, turning and jogging toward the fence. He opened the keypad and buzzed them in.

The car parked in front of the shop, stirring up a cloud of dust. The door swung open and a pair of crutches appeared. A tall, very cute she kat with short black hair stepped out, balancing herself firmly on the ground.

"Hi there, can I help you?" Jake asked.

"Yeah, my name is Laurie. I wanted to know if this was the place my plane ended up." She said.

"Wait … you're the she kat from the crash over Mega Kat Bridge." He said, his eyes widening.

"Yeah … guilty. I wanted to know if I could get some things from my plane. Is that alright?" she asked, pulling some hair from her face.

Jake cleared his throat. "No problem. I'll take you to it." He led here around back to where it was. He hadn't gotten really good look at her when Chance had rescued her from the wreckage. He could now see why the tom was so obsessed with her; she was adorable.

He saw that his partner had gone back inside the shop. "It's back there. Just yell if you need anything." He said.

She waved over her shoulder at him, but he didn't get to see it. He sprinted into the shop, where Chance stood in front of the sink, chugging a can of milk. "You won't believe who's here!" he yelled.

"Who?" Chance answered, wiping his mouth with the back of his paw.

"Guess." He said, crossing his arms.

Chance heard metal clanging out in the yard and stepped around Jake. His heart skipped a beat when he spotted her; the she kat from the plane crash. She pulled at the door of the plane, but couldn't get it to budge. When it suddenly burst open, she fell backwards into the dirt, coughing and swearing.

Chance ran up to her, trying to help her to her feet. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, thanks for that." She said, brushing dirt from her jeans. "I just came to see if anything had been saved. I'm Laurie."

"Yeah … the pilot from the crash. You're lucky." He said.

"Thanks to the Swat Kats. Who are you?" she asked.

He smiled at her. "Chance, Chance Furlong."

She held out her paw. "Nice to meet you. Do you think you could climb in there and get my wallet from the glove compartment?"

"Sure thing." He said, climbing into the cockpit.

Moments later, he appeared with her wallet in hand. He tossed it to her. "Here."

"Thank you. It was stupid to fly that close to the bridge. I'm such an idiot!" she said, stuffing the wallet into her purse.

"I'm sure it wasn't totally your fault. There was a lot of wind that day." He said.

Her ears flicked at his comment. "What?"

Chance then realized what he had said and roughly swallowed. "I meant … Um…"

"Do I know you?" she asked. "I feel like I've seen you before."

"Maybe, I don't know." He said, feeling sweat run down his neck.

"Did … did you used to go train at the enforcer academy?" she asked.

"Yeah … I did, until Commander Feral fired me for unnecessary force." Chance growled.

"Mine was kind of like that; I accidently tripped him in the hallway." She confessed.

Chance laughed, deep and warm. "Was it really an accident?"

"Well … no. I just hate him." She said with a cheeky grin.

"Haha … um, would you maybe wanna finish this talk over coffee?" he asked.

"Well, I was maybe thinking that … ide love to." She said, pulling a pen and a piece of paper from her purse.

"Good … um, when?" he asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Maybe some time this week." She said, she walked next to him and placed her hand over his and pushed the paper into his palm. "Call me, stud."

"Count on it." He said, feeling his heart race.

He followed her back to her car and helped her inside. She waved to him and drove away, a cloud of dust where she had been. He sighed and looked at the paper in his hand. Her writing was perfect.

_Laurie Purrston_

_360-4429_

_See you soon … :)_

He smiled and punched the air as he walked into the garage. "Yes!"

"What are you so happy about?" Jake asked with amusement in his voice.

"I have a date." He stated, popping open a can of milk.

"That's great pal! That means Callie is all mine!" he said.

"You can have Callie Sure shot. This one is amazing! She's smart, funny, and gorgeous!" Chance said, falling on to the couch. "And her eyes … damn."

A/N: How was this chapter? Please send me reviews! I love to hear what you guys think! XD


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Pulling into the driveway of her childhood home, Laurie sighed and stepped out. Closing the door behind herself, she made her way up the porch. It was early afternoon and she knew her mother was still at work. Bending over and retrieving the spare key from under the welcome mat, she twisted the lock and forced the front door open.

She wrinkled her nose at the smell of the food her mother had prepared last night; Salmon casserole and fresh bread. She assumed her mother had hosted her book club the night before, considering she also smelled tea and the tang of overbearing perfume. Waving a paw in front of her face, she walked through the living room and toward the back door. Smiling when she spotted the hanger at the back of the yard, she raced out in to the grass, hopping along with her crutches. Cicadas screeched in the tall grass, flying away as she bounded closer.

Her father had been a war veteran and owned a good piece of land behind their home, complete with a runway and bunker. He used to fix Enforcer merchandise when he retired and the property was littered with pieces of various crafts. When he died, he wrote in his will that all of his belongings go to his daughter. In it he had placed his only set of keys. Her mother seemed unhappy of the idea, but it wasn't her decision.

Opening the hanger with one of the many keys, she sneezed as dust rushed from inside. The lights flickered on and illuminated the metal building throughout. She remembered playing in here as a kitten, her dad keeping a close eye on her. Stepping on the concrete floor and through dried puddles of oil, she walked toward the left side of the hall and spotted her reason for coming there. A giant, tan sheet covered her father's most prized possession; the M16-PH Sky Tiger. It looked a lot like the jet the Swat Kats used, except its design was thinner. It was chrome black with light red and orange stripes across its tail and base, making it look like a mighty wild cat. She had actually never seen it fly, but her father had been modifying it before he passed. She intended to finish what he had started.

"Well Dad, it's about time we finished restoring this old bird to its former glory." She said, glancing at the skylight high above.

Chance stared at the slip of paper in his hand, his eyes reading over her number over and over again, memorizing it. He then glanced at the company phone and slowly began to reach for it. Punching her number into the keypad, he gulped as he heard the other end of the line ring. After a few moments, it picked up and heard her answer.

"Hello?" she said, her perfect voice shimmering like a bell.

"Yeah, um … this is Chance, the kat from the junkyard. Um … I wanted to know if still wanted to get coffee." He said, not knowing what else to say.

She cleared her throat and looked at the clock. "I'm free, how about around 6pm at Coffee n' Claws across town?"

"That's good, well … see you there." He said.

"Bye." She said with a slight giggle in her voice.

The phone went dead and she raced off to her room having only an hour to get ready. After taking a quick shower, she blow dried her hair and wrapped it up in a bun. Deciding on a pair of faded blue jeans and a dark blue sweater, she dressed, picked out some jewelry and a pair of running shoes, since heels were out of the question at the moment. After applying a clear lip gloss and a thin layer of eyeliner, she snatched her wallet and keys.

As she headed down to the elevator, she saw she wasn't alone as it opened. One of the kats who shared her floor, Blake Tailor, was leaning up against the wall, his features dazed. Laurie had met him when she had moved and already hated him. He and his friends hung out near the gas station a few blocks away, getting high and drinking. She coughed when she smelled the air thick with the smell of catnip.

"Hey pretty thing, what do you say to you and I chilling at my place sometime?" he asked, struggling to stand straight.

"I'm gonna pass." She said icily as the elevator stopped at the car lot.

It took him a minute to realize what she said. "Bitch, you won't find anyone else like me!" he shouted.

She ignored him and unlocked her car. "Moron."

She drove down the boulevard to the edge of downtown Megakat City. The homeless pushed shopping carts and slept on park benches, covering themselves with newspapers. If Mayor Manx truly wanted to help, then why hadn't he tried to clean up the city like he promised during his campaign? She shook her head as the fancy sign for the coffee shop came into view.

The tom stood just outside the entrance, messing with his sleeves. He wore a pair of blue jeans and a whit muscle shirt, covered by a black leather jacket. She smiled at how handsome he looked. Parking up near the front, she popped a piece of gum in her mouth and made her way over.

He smiled and put his paws in his pockets. "Hi, you look great."

She could see his abs through the thin layer of his shirt. "So do you. Want to head in?"

He stepped around and opened the door for her, making the bell at the top of it tinkle. She smiled at him and was hit with the warm aromas of spices and sugars. As he followed behind, he couldn't help himself from staring at her butt and black tipped tail; it was adorable. He shook his head and cleared his throat.

"You okay?" Laurie asked, raising her eyebrows at him.

He scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, fine."

A she-kat behind the counter turned away from the cash register to assist them. "Can I help you both?"

"Yes, I'll take a Summer Cinnamon Chai with Hazelnut." Laurie said.

When she turned to Chance, he couldn't think of what to order; he had never been in here before, but he wasn't about to tell her that. He had to have been the one to suggest coffee when all he drank was the cheap stuff from the coffeepot at home. Lost in his own thoughts, he didn't hear Laurie speak.

"Make that two." She said.

The girl nodded and bustled to the coffee machine. "It will be a few minutes."

They sat down at one of the booths together; her on one side, him on the other. After a few moments of silence, he tried to make conversation.

"So, what's the news on your leg?" he asked.

"There's not much to tell. The doctor said the caste could be removed in few weeks. I can wait to for it to be gone. I feel like I walking with a brick attached to my foot." She said.

"It's just good it wasn't anything worse." He said.

She laughed at his comment. "I'm not so sure about that."

"What's your story?" he asked as their coffees arrived.

"Now there's a lot of stuff to explain about that." She said, taking a sip of her steaming cup. "You might be here all night hearing about it."

"I don't care." He said.

"You're sure? It's kind of hard to explain." She warned.

He smiled at her and crossed his arms. "Try me."

A/N: This was one of my best chapters so far! Send me reviews! XD


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The pair ended up staying at the shop for five hours and had gone through three cups of coffee. The cashier was supposed to close a while ago, but she enjoyed hearing them laugh as they talked. She just continued to wash and dry dishes, smiling to herself.

Laurie laughed at her watch and looked at the she-kat. "I'm so sorry! This place was supposed to close an hour and a half ago! Do we need to pay you extra?"

Their host let out a meow of laughter. "Not a problem. You two are some of the most interesting customers I have had in a long time. I think the both of you should head home though; this isn't a nice part of town to be in at night."

"Thanks." Laurie glanced at Chance and shrugged. "Ready?"

"Yeah, I'll walk you out." He said.

He followed her to her car, watching as she dug in her pockets for her keys. "I had a lot of fun Chance."

"Me too, maybe we could do something again soon?" he said, running his paw through his hair.

"Yeah, defiantly …" She then noticed her car was the only one around. "Do you have a car?" she asked with a puzzled look on her face.

"No, working as a mechanic at a junkyard doesn't put you at the top of the pay." He said.

"You walked here? The junkyard is seven blocks away!" she asked.

"It's not that far of a walk." He said.

She smiled at him and opened the other side of her car. "Let me give you a ride."

Knowing he couldn't and didn't want to say no to her, he got into the car with her and she drove down back roads, trying to find the fastest way back to the junkyard. He sat in the passenger side, watching her every move. He admired the way her black hair flopped to one side of her face, her emerald eyes sparkling off the dash board controls.

When they came to the junkyard gate, she pulled over and turned off the engine. "Well, here we are."

"See you later I guess." The tom said with a smile.

Before he could leave the car, she caught him by his sleeve and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. "Thank you." She whispered.

"Any time." He said, grinning at her.

He waved at her as she drove away. Looking in her review mirror, she saw him do a back flip and hop the fence. Shaking her head, she headed back on the road to her apartment. Only a few cars remained on the street so she got home really fast. As she parked in the car port and walked up to the elevator, something occurred to her. She had just had more fun with someone she just met than she had with Luke in four years. She had tried to call him, but she only had gotten his answering a machine. The only times she had seen him since the plane crash was once at her mother's house and then at the grocery store.

As the doors opened on her floor, she jumped when she spotted someone waiting outside her door. "Who's out here?"

"Hi babe." Luke said, stepping out into the light.

"Hi." She said curtly, turning the key in her door.

"How are you? How's your leg?" he asked, leaning against the wall.

She could smell alcohol in his breath. "You wouldn't know would you? What are you doing here this late?" she asked.

"I came to see you. Where were you?" He said.

"I went out with one of my friends. Why all of the sudden do you want to see me now?" she asked sourly.

He stepped closer. "What do you mean? Did I piss you off?"

"Gee, I wonder. I was in a plane crash a month ago and I have only seen you twice. I've called you, I've texted you, I even asked your jerk friends where you were. I'm your girlfriend! You act like you didn't even care that I was almost killed!" she shouted.

"When did you become a clingy bitch?" he asked, getting close to her face.

"When did you become a neglectful jerk?" she countered, stepping inside her door.

He scowled at her and suddenly slapped her across the face. "Watch what the hell you say to me!"

She touched her stinging cheek, her eyes brimming with tears. "Don't ever talk to me again!" she screamed.

When she tried to close the door, he stopped it with his foot. When he grabbed her arm, she hissed and clawed him across the face. He cried in pain and fell to the floor. She then slammed the door and locked the deadbolt, rubbing her face.

"Open this damn door!" he yelled, pounding his fists on the wall.

"Get lost or I'm calling the cops!" she said, moving away from the door.

After a few moments, the banging stopped, but his voice followed. "I'll find you!"

She ignored him and ran into the kitchen, heading for the freezer. Grabbing a few pieces of ice and wrapping them in a towel, she held it to her face. The cold burned at first but then soothed he stinging of her skin. Falling down on to her couch, she leaned back and kicked off her one shoe. It clattered to the floor, the noise ringing throughout the apartment. Lying down on the soft sofa cushions, she closed her eyes but she couldn't sleep; she had too many thoughts on her mind. Giving up on rest, grabbed the remote and clicked on the T.V. he late night news was on, filling her dark apartment with light. She closed her eyes and listened.

" … And that was sports, back to you Alan." said a male voice.

"Thank you Chris. The Swat Kats; what would we do without them?" the anchorman asked.

"Huh?" she mumbled, opening her eyes. Hearing about her rescuers, Laurie sat up and clicked up the volume.

"For six years, the Swat Kats have protected our great city from all kinds of threats. Razor and T-Bone are greatly appreciated by all, but some feel it is not enough. In response to this, Mayor Manx and his Deputy Mayor Calico Briggs have issued a new holiday here in Megakat City; Swat Kat Remembrance Day! It will be held three days from now at the gardens near City Hall."

"Well, looks like you actually did something right for once Mayor." She said, clicking off the screen and heading for bed.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Chance walked inside from the garage, wiping oil from his paws. As he scrubbed them under some warm water, he sighed. Laurie had been on his mind since she dropped him off the night before. He could still feel her soft lips on his cheek that made shivers run down his spine. He couldn't help it; he had fallen head over tail for her.

Jake appeared from the storage closet, carrying a bundle of wires. "You never did tell me how your date went."

"She's amazing." the tom replied, drying his claws on a ratty dish towel.

"She's adorable. I wish I could have scored a girl as cute as her." His partner said, scratching the back of his head.

Chance smiled into the kitchen window. "Yeah."

"Did you guys make plans for another date?" Jake asked.

The tom shook his head but the grin remained on his face. "No, but I have a feeling there will be more."

Before either one of them could react, the loud siren they knew all too well sounded throughout the house. They bolted into the garage and Jake hit the communication switch. "We hear ya Mrs. Briggs, what is it?" he asked.

Her voice cracked over the intercom, clearly stressed. "Swat Kats, Dark Kat was spotted near the back entrance at the Chemical Plant. His Creeplings were seen carrying out canisters of something and I guarantee it wasn't catnip!"

"Let's go." Jake said.

Zooming out of the hanger, the Turbo Kat cut through the skies, heading straight for the clouds of smoke from the chemical plant.

"First, Dark Kat was messing around the Biotech Lab and now this! What's he planning?" Jake said, more talking to himself then T-Bone.

"No idea, but it can't be good." T-Bone said.

The city was undisturbed as usual before a disaster struck. Construction workers stood on tall unfinished structures, busying themselves and watched their watches for their lunch hour. Kittens played on the jungle gym at the park under their mother's close observance. No one seemed to be aware of the situations outside their own care free lives.

"Calm before the storm." T-Bone muttered as they reached the plant. He soared and looked down on their destination. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. "I don't see Dark Kat or the Creeplings, not one."

"Me neither … wait … down there, near that retention pond!" Jake said, pointing out the jet window.

Sure enough, a half a dozen or so Creeplings dragging tubes of glowing, orange liquid toward a dark section of an alley behind the plant.

"Land on the roof; let's try and catch them off guard and follow them!" Razor said.

"Way ahead of ya buddy." T-Bone said. He eased the jet on to the roof and clicked off the engines. The Creeplings continued to haul their find away, oblivious to the duo of felines above. They squawked and screeched to each other, scurrying into the shadows.

"C'mon!" T-Bone whispered, climbing down the fire escape and jumping on to the hard sand below.

They raced after the last Creepling they saw, Glovatrixes ready. When all they heard was silence, they skidded to a halt in the darkness.

"They're … they're gone." Razor said, looking through his night vision lenses.

"What?!" T-Bone growled, spinning around in a circle.

Jake tapped his mask a few times to see if it had malfunctioned. "I had a lock on their heat signatures a second ago, but they just vanished!"

"No! Dammit!" T-Bone swore, biting his bottom lip until he tasted blood. "Dark Kat, you coward! Where are you!?"

Somewhere downtown …

Laurie walked down the boulevard near the Mall. She had been asked by a friend to help build one of the floats for the Swat Kats parade. Having nothing better to do, she decided there was no harm in going. After all, she did owe one of them her life.

"Hey, Laurie! Over here!" a voice called over the sound of the traffic. She looked ahead and saw her friend Avery waving at her. They had been friends for as long as she could remember and told each other everything. She smiled and waved back, heading for the float where Avery waited.

"Hey Avery, what's up?" she said as Avery bounced up to hug her.

"I'm glad you could help Laurie! We really need it." Avery said, linking arms with her. "So, you never did tell me how you were feeling since the accident. We really need to hang out more!"

"I'm alright." She said, examining the scar or her wrist. "Thanks for asking."

"You're welcome, let's get started!" Avery answered, jumping on to the float and passing a bag of red and blue streamers to Laurie, who waited below. "So how's Luke?"

"I could really care less. He didn't come to see at all except once at the hospital, and he didn't even wait to see if I was alright. He was waiting at my apartment when I got home one night and expected me to not be angry that he ignored me for a month. He said some things to me and hit me. I want nothing to do with him." She said, opening the bag with her claws. "However, I did meet a really nice guy at the junkyard where my plane had been dumped."

"Oh! Tell me, tell me, tell me! Who is he? What does he look like?" Avery begged.

"I'm not telling." Laurie teased, sticking her tongue out.

"Fine, be that way. I'll find out eventually anyway." She said.

Laurie rolled her eyes and carried the streamers over to where Jonathan stood, hooking lights to the side of the float. He and Avery had been dating for three years and Laurie was surprised he had not proposed to her yet. He was kind of macho and stiff, but Laurie saw so much warmth and love when he looked at Avery.

He looked up when he saw her approach and playfully punched her in the arm. "So, you're not dead?"

"Happy to see you too John." She muttered, throwing a pack of nails at him.

"John, stop picking at my friend." Avery said, walking up to him and licking his cheek.

"I'm only playing with her, she knows that." He said, winking at Laurie.

She turned away as they kissed and let her mind wander. She thought about her date with Chance and thought it had been the best date she had ever had. He was so handsome and sweet. She wondered why she ever dated Luke in the first place. Chance had respected her better in one night then Luke had ever. When she thought about, the only reason she had been with Luke was because of her mother and his parents. They were good friends and her mother thought that Luke would be the perfect match for her. She hissed at the idea and sighed.

"Come help with the paint Laurie!" Avery yelled from somewhere behind her.

"Coming!" she said, jogging back to where Avery was. Chance's face flashed in and out of her mind the rest of the day and she couldn't stop smiling.


End file.
